Thread holder



June 15, 1954 R A s os s 2,681,082

' THREAD HOLDER Filed July 3. 1953 /7 I I1 I I i I g f /3 11 9 5- k 15 g7 5%; 7 I i I? i.

ll ll INVENT OR. Raoul zesraszers ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in thread holders for weft replenishing looms and has for an object to improve generally on a thread holder of the above type to eiiect satisfactory operation thereof in modern constructed looms wherein but a small amount of vibration occurs.

In Payne Patent No. 1,842,731 there is set forth a thread holder having geared members mounted on a casing which contains a vibration motor connected to the members. As the casing swings back and forth on its supporting arm due to loom vibration a weight suspended for free oscillation moves a feed pawl relative to a ratchet wheel connected to at least one of the geared members for the purpose of turning the latter. Such a thread holder depends for its operation upon the degree to which the casing will respond to loom vibration. On the present modern heavier looms, vibration has been considerably reduced and is not suflicient to effect satisfactory operation of the thread holder as heretofore constructed. Various attempts have been made to make such device responsive to reduced loom vibration without success. I have discovered that if I increase the mass of the pendulum weight sufficiently and arrange the weight in such a way as to effect a balanced condition of weight on opposite sides of the supporting arm, the thread holder will respond satisfactorily to reduced loom vibration.

An object of the invention is to provide a thread holder in which the weight of the pendulum unit will be arranged in a manner to be more responsive to loom vibration.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a weight for the pendulum unit in which the mass of the weight will be positioned on one side of the loom vibration arm to balance the weight of the thread holder on the other side of the said arm.

Another object is to provide for dividing the weft ends into separate groups to pass through the bite of the geared members.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a fragmental portion of the weft replenishing end of a loom, illustrating a thread holder embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a front face view of the thread holder shown in Figure 1 attached to a supporting arm;

Figure 3 is a similar view of the opposite side of the holder with the closure plate removed to better illustrate the inner mechanism of the holder;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pendulum unit of the holder; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a weft end separator.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a loom frame I0, lay H, and a shuttle 12. A magazine i3 is provided with reserve bobbins M from which extend weft ends to a thread holder designated generally It. The magazine is of well-known manufacture and includes in its construction the tie rods [7 positioned on opposite sides of the magazine in line with each other. An arm i8 is secured on a rod I! and extends therefrom downwardly and outwardly from the loom. The above structure is of common construction and is set forth to illustrate generally the type of loom on which my invention may be used. The thread holder It is secured to the outer free end of the arm as by screws l 9, (see Figures 2 and 3) to vibrate therewith.

The thread holder It comprises a casing 2| of general rectangular shape having a front wall 22 and end walls 23, 24 joined by side walls 25 and 26. A pair of toothed members or rotors 27, 28 which are geared to each other for. rotation one from the other are mounted on the front of the wall 22 on rotatable shafts 29, 38, respectively. The shaft 29 extends inwardly through the wall 22 and is rotatably mounted on a plate 3| which is adjustably secured to the inner side of the front wall 22 as by means of screws 32. Thus, the rotor 2'? may be adjustably moved to and from the rotor 28. The shaft 30 also extends inwardly through the wall 22 and has a ratchet wheel 33 fastened thereto as by a nut 3A for rotation therewith. Thus, upon rotation of the ratchet wheel, the rotor 28 will be turned, which in turn will rotate rotor 21 and advance or tension the weft ends l5 positioned in the bite of the said rotors.

The ratchet wheel is rotated by means of a pendulum unit comprising a weight 35 having an arm 36 of general rectangular shape provided with spaced shoulders 3? (Figure 4) to which are attached parallelly extending pendulum arms 3% as by means of screws 39. The arms 38 are made of thin flat springs which are attached at their other ends to bosses MB of the casing It as by a bolt and nut fastening M. The weight 35 is thus suspended so that its arm extends generally parallel to the side walls 25 with the arm 36 extending outwardly through an opening 42 in 3 the end wall 23 to position the free end portion 33 of the weight on the opposite side of the arm i8 from the casing. There is also attached to the weight 35 to move therewith a resilient pawl 4:1 which extends into engagement with the ratchet wheel 33.

The usual magazine 13 when filled contains 54 reserve bobbins l4 and thus 54 weft ends 15 are held in the bite between the rotors 21 and 28. The weft ends if; have a tendency to bunch to gether and oppose turning of the rotors. With a view of eliminating the above disadvantage, a separator 15 (see Figure 5) is provided. This comprises a length of wire material bent at one end portion in U shape providing arms 3%, 4'? extending generally parallel to each other and spaced a distance slightly less than the thickness of the arm id at the location of attachment thereto. The arm :35 is bent downwardly at substantially right angles as at 59 and terminates in an eye 49. The arm 41 is also bent at substantially right angles to extend as at 59 in the plane of the portion 47. The arms 49, d7 straddle the arm i8 having resilient engagement therewith with the eye 43 extending to be positioned between the head of the bolt 59 and the arm E8 to be secured in place by the said bolt 59. The arm portion 50 extends above the rotors substantially midway of the axial length thereof.

In threading the weft ends 25 between the bite of the rotors, one half thereof are placed on one side of the arm 59 and the other half of the weft ends on the other side of the arm 59, thus reducing considerably the opposing force of the weft ends to the turning of the rotors by reducing bunching.

When the loom is at rest, the pendulum unit is at rest with the arms 38 extending generally vertically and the pawl as extending into engagement with the ratchet wheel 33 (see Figure 3). Upon the loom being set into motion, the arm i8 will vibrate in a horizontal direction, as seen in this Figure 3, and the weight 35 will vibrate or be moved in the same direction as the arm 18 but will over-ride the distance of movement of the arm I 8 in each direction. Thus, the pendulum unit will have a distance of oscillation greater than that of the arm I S and the ratchet wheel 33 moving therewith. Thus, a relative movement will be had between the pawl (it and ratchet wheel 33. When the pendulum unit swings towards the left, the pawl 45 will ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel. When said unit swings towards the right, the pawl will move into the said teeth, thereby causing a turning of the rotors to tension the weft ends held in the bite thereof. With a view of controlling oscillation of the pendulum unit, the bolt 29 is made of a length to extend through the wall 23 in line with the adjacent arm 38. The end of the bolt thus pro vides an adjustable stop to be engaged by the 4 said adjacent arm 38 to limit the swing of the said unit. A look nut 20' secures the bolt 20 in the adjusted position and also secures the casing to the arm I8.

I claim:

1. In a thread holder having geared members for the weft ends of a weft replenishing loom, a support arm connected at one end to the loom, a ratchet wheel connected to rotate with one of said geared members, a casing for the ratchet wheel and geared members mounted on said arm and extending on one side of the latter and vibrating therewith during loom operation, a pendulum unit attached to said casing vibrating relative thereto during loom operation, said unit having a weight extending on the other side of the arm and a pawl moving with said unit and extending into engagement with said. ratchet wheel, said weight portion on the said other side of the arm being in substantial balance with the portion of the thread holder on the said one side of the arm.

2. In a thread holder having geared members for the weft ends of a weft replenishing loom, a support arm connected at one end to the loom, a ratchet wheel connected to rotate with one of said geared members, a casing for the ratchet Wheel and geared members mounted on said arm and extending on one side of the latter and vibrating therewith during loom operation, a pendulum unit attached to said casing vibrating relative thereto during loom operation, said unit having a weight extending on the other side of the arm and a pawl moving with said unit and extending into engagement with said ratchet wheel, said weight having the greater portion of its mass on the said other side of the arm.

3. In a thread holder having geared members for the weft ends of a weft replenishing loom, a support arm connected at one end to the loom, a ratchet wheel connected to rotate with one of said geared members, a casing for the ratchet wheel and geared members mounted on said arm and extending on one side of the latter and vibrating therewith duringv loom operation, a pendulum unit attached to said casing vibrating relative thereto during loom operation, said unit having a weight extending on the other side of the arm and a pawl moving with said unit and extending into engagement with said ratchet wheel, said weight being an elongated member enlarged at the free end portion thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,842,731 Payne Jan. 26, 1932 1,895,781 Burton Jan. 31, 1933 2,387,289 Payne Oct. 23, 1945 2,387,302 Santon Oct. 23, 1945 

